"THE DESIGNER’S SILHOUETTES ARE INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE FOR THEIR PRECISE TAILORING AND STRUCTURED FEEL, BUT THIS LINEUP FEATURED A FEW LOOKS WITH SOFTER TOUCHES, SUCH AS A WHITE CREPE DRESS WITH AN ALLOVER BLACK TULLE OVERLAY OR A SILK TUNIC TOP WITH LACE INSETS."

"KAROLINA ZMARLAK'S BRAND OF SOPHISTICATED TAILORING IS FOR THE PUT-TOGETHER MINIMALIST.KAROLINA ZMARLAK HAS THE WHOLE TALL, THIN, BLONDE, PRETTY THING DOWN, BUT DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THIS POLISH EXPAT—SHE HAS YEARS UNDER HER BELT IN THE DESIGN GAME AND IS SERIOUS ABOUT FASHION AND CRAFTSMANSHIP. WITH A CV THAT INCLUDES STINTS AT THEORY AND CAROLINA HERRERA AND A BACKGROUND IN MADE-TO-MEASURE, ZMARLAK DID THE HOURS NECESSARY TO PREPARE TO GO OUT ON HER OWN IN 2009. BELOW, GET TO KNOW THIS DESIGNER WITH AN EYE FOR MINIMALISM, AN APPRECIATION FOR THE FEMALE FORM AND A PASSION FOR A PERFECT FIT."

"UTILIZING HER TAILORING TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE USING HIGH-END MATERIALS, ZMARLAK CO-FOUNDED HER BRAND WITH HER PARTNER JESSE KEYES, WHO HAS A BACKGROUND IN BUSINESS AND ARCHITECTURE. SHE'S BUILT HER LINE BASED ON HER OBSESSION WITH HOW EACH GARMENT IS CONSTRUCTED AND ITS ABILITY TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME. THOUGH HER LABEL IS STILL RELATIVELY NEW, HER COMMITMENT TO USING LUXURY FABRICATIONS AND FOCUSING ON CRAFTSMANSHIP HAS PLACED HER COLLECTION IN THE DESIGNER PRICE POINT, WHERE SHE'S COMPETING WITH INDUSTRY GREATS LIKE STELLA MCCARTNEY, DONNA KARAN AND CALVIN KLEIN ON THE SALES FLOOR."

"KAROLINA ZMARLAK MAY HAVE GROWN UP IN COMMUNIST POLAND, BUT SHE TRULY HAS A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND. AFTER ALL, HER CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED LINE HAS EVERYTHING NYC WOMEN ARE LOOKING FOR THESE DAYS: STRUCTURED BLAZERS, FLATTERING TROUSERS, AND MORE THAN ENOUGH BLACK TO KEEP US LOOKING SHARP. SO, WHEN WE GOT THE CHANCE TO TOUR HER STUDIO AND SHOWROOM, WE COULDN'T GET TO THE GARMENT DISTRICT FAST ENOUGH."

"I DESIGN FOR PEOPLE WHO DO THINGS, WHO ARE ALIVE. NOT THESE BLANK-FACED DOLLS,' SAYS KAROLINA ZMARLAK, QUOTING 1940S FASHION LEGEND VALENTINA. THE EMERGING DESIGNER SHARES A FAIR AMOUNT IN COMMON WITH HER IDOL. BOTH HAVE AN UNMISTAKABLE APPRECIATION FOR REAL WOMEN. BEFORE LAUNCHING HER NAMESAKE READY-TO-WEAR LABEL FIVE YEARS AGO, ZMARLAK WAS RUNNING A MADE-TO-ORDER BUSINESS OUT OF HER SMALL NOLITA APARTMENT. SHE'S CONTINUED TO MAKE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH HER CUSTOMERS AT REGULAR TRUNK SHOWS. THEIR VALUABLE FEEDBACK HAS HELPED TO REFINE HER DISTINCTLY MATURE POINT OF VIEW. FOCUSING ON CLEAN SHAPES AND MODERNIST TAILORING, ZMARLAK AIMS TO 'CREATE LIVING SCULPTURES' WITH HER WELL-CONSTRUCTED CLOTHES PRODUCED IN MANHATTAN'S GARMENT DISTRICT."